-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Cindy Goodman was having dinner with a group of girlfriends one night when the conversation took a surprising turn .

Summer at the beach may seem like fun , but more Americans are afraid to take time off .

Goodman asked her friends where they planned to go this year for their summer vacation . Nowhere , they answered . They were afraid to take time off because they did n't want to risk losing their jobs , she says .

`` It 's going to be an interesting summer , '' says Goodman , a Miami Herald business columnist . `` The people who still have a job are really feeling overwhelmed and overworked . They 're afraid to take vacations , but at the same time , they need them more than ever . ''

The bad economy is n't just depleting bank accounts . It 's cutting into people 's vacation time . Americans typically take time off and kick back during the summer . This year may be different .

People are worried that a temporary vacation could lead to permanent time off , Goodman says .

`` I do n't think anyone is going to be fired for taking two weeks off , but they might think that they 'll think of another way of doing my job without me , '' says Goodman , who wrote about people 's vacation fears for her blog at http://worklifebalancingact.blogspot.com .

How to take time off without guilt

Americans had a difficult time taking vacations even before the economy slumped . Numerous articles and studies draw the same conclusions : Americans do n't know how to pry themselves away from the workplace .

This year , Expedia.com , the travel reservation company , conducted a survey that compared Americans ' vacation habits with their counterparts in other countries .

The survey said about 34 percent of Americans do n't take all the vacation time they earn each year . In contrast , 22 percent of French citizens and 24 percent of Germans do n't take all the vacation allotted to them .

Japanese workers are the least interested in using all of their vacation days , according to the Expedia survey . About 92 percent of Japanese workers do not take all of their vacation days .

Christine Louise Hohlbaum , author of `` The Power of Slow : 101 Ways to Save Time in Our 24/7 World , '' says even when Americans manage to take vacations , they still do n't completely leave their office , because of technology .

`` You can take a BlackBerry on vacation and still have a conversation with clients anywhere else in the world , '' Hohlbaum says . `` It 's wonderful for innovation , but not so great for leisure . ''

But workers who do n't take vacation hurt themselves and their companies , Hohlbaum says . Overworked employees get sick more often and place themselves at risk for long-term illnesses such as heart disease . Companies suffer because their employees are too tired or ill to be productive , she said .

Workplaces are full of exhausted employees who have already checked out in their cubicles , Hohlbaum says .

`` If people are overworked , they 're surfing the Internet , '' she says . `` They 're not contributing to the bottom line . ''

Hohlbaum says she talked to a computer technician who found a way to take more time off but be more productive . He started a walking group for his colleagues during lunch hour .

He and his colleagues were transformed .

`` It was an amazing experience , '' Hohlbaum says . `` They bonded . It helped people relax and when they got back to work , they were much more productive . ''

She suggests that other workers follow his example . Explain the upside of the idea to the boss : The company benefits from well-rested workers because they 're more productive . Set performance goals with your boss to prove taking time off will allow you to thrive and will result in greater productivity , she says .

Some workers , however , find that their biggest skeptic may be internal ; they do n't know how to take it easy anymore , Hohlbaum says .

`` If you 're so used to being purposeful , make leisure time your purpose , '' Hohlbaum says .

Alternative ideas

Goodman , the Miami Herald columnist , offers some of her own tips for taking time off . If you 're too afraid to ask for an extended vacation , plan four-day weekends or time off around holidays .

Goodman says she 's going to take a four-day vacation around the Fourth of July . But there was a time when she traditionally took two-week vacations during the summer .

`` I have the same kind of fear that everyone else has , '' Goodman says . `` I want to take time off , but I do n't want to miss too much work time . I want to keep my column in the paper every week . ''

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People fear that vacationing in recession could lead to permanent time off

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Blogger says stressed-out workers need vacations more than ever

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Poll : 35 percent of Americans do n't take all the vacation they receive in a year

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Expert advises how to explain to your boss why you should have a vacation